A Bakery Love
by AnimeandFanficLover
Summary: Edward meets an interesting girl working at a bakery. A blossoming friendship soon ensues.
1. The Bakery Girl

**(A/N: This is a new story. I wrote this because I was inspired by BloodPokemon101's "The Flower Princess and the Alchemist". I really loved that fanfic! And you haven't read it, you should! I wanted to try my hands at my own Edward/Orihime. This is just a series of short drabbles and cutesy fluffiness. Enjoy! I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Bleach.)**

* * *

The Bakery Girl

"Damn that Colonel!"

"C'mon, brother, it _was_ your own fault."

The smaller of the two boys turned around and glared at his suit of armor of a brother, his gold orbs narrowing into dangerous slits.

"Just whose side are you on, Al?" he accused. "I didn't need a lecture about how handle that idiot of an alchemist.

"You almost destroyed part of the city, Ed," Al deadpanned. "You need to stop being so reckless."

Edward just huffed in annoyance, stuffing his hand in his pocket, not wanting to continue this conversation anymore. It was already giving him a migraine.

His stomach growled. "Man, I'm so hungry," he groaned. He searched around to see if he could find some place.

His gold eyes finally landed on a bakery just around the corner. "Let's go, Al!" he impatiently called out to his younger brother, already dashing towards the bakery.

* * *

Once there, Edward yanked open the door, but not loud enough for it to bang against the wall. Sheesh! He had more courtesy than that.

The inside of the bakery had sort of a homey atmosphere to it. There wasn't much in the way of decorations. The walls and floors were wooden. There were several tables and chairs for customers who wanted to see and eat instead of ordering take out. At the far right side there was a display case full of dessert, sweets, and pastries.

But there was one thing the brothers did notice. It was packed full of guys! There were some women. But damn was it full of _men_ for a bakery shop.

"Hello! May I help you?"

The Elric brothers tilted their heads towards the direction of the sweet, feminine voice. They were instantly met with a young woman of about average height. She had long burnt orange hair that cascaded down her back reaching all the down to her hips. Her bangs were clipped back by two floral shaped hairpins. She had fair skin and big, wide, silvery gray eyes that shined brightly in a childlike wonder and glee. Her lips were curled up in a welcoming smile.

And, at least, now they knew why there were so many guys hanging around. They didn't want to get into the girl's busty figure. The damn perverts!

"Do you have a table for two?"

"Oh, yes!" the girl said brightly. "Right this way, please!" The cheery girl led them to one of tables at the back. "Could I get anything to eat?" she asked politely. "We have a fresh batch of apple strudels, if you would like to try some."

"I'll just take that," Ed said casually. "And a slice of apple pie."

The burnt orange haired girl wrote his order down on her notepad. "What about you, sir?" Her curious gaze drifted towards Al, ready to take his order.

Al shook his head, waving his hands in a sheepish gesture. "Uh, no thanks," he refused as politely as he could. "I'm not hungry."

"Okay, then. I'll go get your order. Give me a few minutes." She bowed at them and began striding away towards the counter. She opened the flap and disappeared out back.

"Where do you think we should head to now, brother?" Al asked, his helmet head craning towards his older brother.

"I was thinking about checking out Liore," Ed stated, his face schooled into a series expression.

"You mean about the priest?"

"Yeah, they saw he could perform fancy miracles. I want to see these _miracles_ for myself."

"Here's your food!" the auburn haired girl announced, coming back to Ed's table. She set the plate down. "Enjoy!"

Her silver eyes glanced between the boy and the armor curiously. "By the way, I've never seen you guys around here before. Do you live around?"

"No, not really," Al replied. "My brother and I travel a lot."

The girl quirked an eyebrow. "Brother?" she inquired.

Sensing her confusion, Al elaborated. "Yeah, my name's Alphonse Elric, and this is my older brother, Edward Elric."

"Older brother?" Her eyes darted between the two brothers. "Isn't he shorter than you?"

The vein on Ed's forehead popped, his face turning red with anger. "WHO ARE CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD HIDE IN A FIELD OF GRASS?!" he practically fumed, his voice booming throughout the bakery.

The startling outburst caught the ears of a few patrons inside, their eyes gazing at scene, wandering what the fuss was about.

The auburn haired girl just blinked in surprise, her gray eyes growing wide.

Ed was waiting for the girl to respond, his fists clenched at his side. To either yell back in fury or run away frightened.

However, after a few seconds had passed, her shoulders began to quiver and her lips formed into a suppressed smile, trying to stifle a noise erupting from her throat.

His anger turned transformed into confusion and dumbfoundment.

Was she…? Was she laughing?

Her hand rose up to cover her mouth as if trying to keep the small noises she involuntarily making from passing through.

She was laughing!

"You're funny!"

Okay…

Ed was genuinely left kinda speechless. He didn't know how to respond to that. How could he answer to something so bizzare and unexpected? He was used to people either shouting back him for his short rants or running away. No one has ever laughed at it before.

This girl was weird.

Once her giggling died down, she smiled brightly at him. "I just baked a cake from a new recipe I made. Do you want to try? Wait right here. I'll be right back!"

She was already dashing away before Ed could offer a proper response.

Ed slumped back down in his chair, scratching the back of his head in what could either be annoyance or bafflement. "That was weird. That girl is a complete weirdo."

Al lightly elbowed his brother for that rude remark. "I think she's taken quite a liking to you, brother."

The elder Elric mumbled something under his breath.

The girl came back. "Thanks for waiting!" She set the plate with a slice of what appeared to be yellow cake topped off with red frosting down before him. "Try it. It's my new spongy cheese yellow cake topped of with red bean frosting."

Ed quirked an eyebrow. Didn't that sound a little unusual?

Looking at the girl's expectant face, she was eagerly waiting for him to try it, anticipating his reaction.

He simply shrugged his shoulders and took a bite. Slowly chewing, his gold eyes widened in surprise at the soft and creamy texture. The sweetness of the cake was astonishingly complimented with the tartness of the frosting. It was actually really good!

"It's good!" he hummed in delight.

The auburn haired girl beamed, her gray eyes sparkling happily. "Really? Great! I could box up the rest of the cake, if you want. It's free."

"Are you sure?" Al asked. "You don't have to do that."

She smiled at him. "It's no trouble. I could always bake another batch."

Several minutes later, the auburn haired girl handed Ed the boxed cake she promised him. "Come back again!" She waved them out the door.

Ed's face was scrunched up into a deep scowl as if he was contemplating something. Finally, he asked, "What's your name?"

The girl blinked. "My name? It's Orihime. Orihime Inoue."

* * *

**(A/N: That's it! How did you like it? I was contemplating whether this should take place during the 2003 anime or Brotherhood. In the end, I decided on Brotherhood. Only because, knowing how 2003 ends, the relationship won't work out. After all, the plot would remain the same. There are no changes to the plot. The only thing different is no Ed/Winry because it's being replaced with Ed/Orihime. Leave any comments, please!)**


	2. A Batter of Communication

**(A/N: I finally gotten around on working on the next chapter of "A Bakery Love"! I hope you enjoy!)**

* * *

A Batter of Communication

Orihime smiled to herself, humming a happy tone. She was in a wonderful mood today. Why? She gets to work behind the counter, that's why. She loved working behind the counter. Baking desserts were always the best! Sometimes she would even experiment with new recipes whenever she has time at home, and if the manager likes it enough, he would add it to the menu, much to her delight.

Which made her doubly happy today. She heard a loud ding ring from the oven. Oh! Her black jam chocolate cake with creamy orange and marshmallow frosting. It was one of her more subtler creations. She grabbed some oven gloves nearby and opened the oven. She was instantly met with the delectable scent of the chocolate cake that would leave anyone's mouths' watering. The rich and inviting aroma waft through her nose. The pungent, savory, and sweet taste of it would was a heavenly flavor to die for.

A large grin spread across the redhead girl's face. The cake came out perfect. It looked so beautiful and delicious. In one of the drawers, she searched for the proportional cake cutter. She knew that they had a few lying around somewhere. She found the 12 piece slicer in the drawer. Ah! Just the one she was looking for.

She heard the bell of the store's door ring as the door swung open. A customer has arrived. Orihime glanced over and smiled brightly when she recognized who it was.

"Hi, Rangiku!" Orihime chirped happily.

The strawberry blonde woman and shouted a hearty greeting to the younger woman, "Good morning, Orihime!"

Rangiku Matsumoto was a woman of above average height. She had strawberry blonde hair that reached all the way down to her waist that waved and curled in certain directions. She had crystal blue eyes and a beauty mark located on the upper right side of her mouth. She wore a stylish dark blue, button up blouse with the first few buttons undone and leaving part of her busty cleavage bare. She sported a pair of black jeans with a flashy, white belt looped around to hold in place. Her feet were adorned with white, high heeled sandals. She carried around a fancy, blue purse in her arms.

Rangiku was a woman of impeccable beauty. The perfect picture of a model. Orihime always admired the woman's stunning appearance. Not only was the woman gorgeous, but she was smart, strong, and confident as well. She was proud of her body and wasn't afraid. Orihime wished she had that same level of confidence. She was often shy and modest about her own curvaceous figure.

"Morning!" Orihime laughed. "Are you here for some peach and apple cobbler tarts?" She finished using the cake cutter and placed it out to the side. She would throw it into the sink at the back to be washed later. The cake was sliced flawlessly into 12 equal pieces.

"Oh, yes!" Rangiku chirped. Her eyes glued to the cake, sparkling delightfully. "And may have a slice of that chocolate cake as well?"

"Certainly!" She grabbed the nearby boxed container. "How's your new job?"

"Boring," the older woman deflated. She blew out a tiresome breath. "Working out as an accountant is so boring. The only good thing is I get off by 5, so I could hit the bars before clocking in for the night."

Orihime giggled. "I'm sure you'll get used to it," she assured her, stuffing a few tarts in the box.

Rangiku frowned. "No way am I gonna get used to that stuffy job!" She checked the time on her watch. "Shit!" she cursed under her breath. "If I don't leave now, I'm gonna be late. That stupid, old croon is going to lecture me again, if I'm late." She shot the bakery girl an easy smile. "Sorry, Orihime. Looks like I gotta run. Talk to you later!"

"Sure thing!" Orihime replied, handing Rangiku her boxed up order. The latter quickly reached into her purse and placed the exact change on the counter.

"See ya later, Orihime!" Rangiku waved gaily, opening the door, causing the store bell to ring with a familiar ding dong tone.

The auburn haired girl happily waved at her older friends as she watched her leave the store. She smiled, putting the money away in the cash register. She sensed a presence looming over her, already figuring out it was another customer, she shot the man a polite smile.

"Hi! May I take your order?"

* * *

The rest of the day went by nice and leisurely, if not, a little uneventful. Orihime greatly enjoyed the relaxed and homely atmosphere. The fresh bake smell of dough and pastry pleasantly wafted through the air, creating a pleasing aroma perfect for a bakery to get the appetite going.

Orihime had just now successfully taking another order of a slice vanilla cake with butterscotch frosting and two slices of lemon cake with lemon frosting. She handed the customer her package boxed in exchange for the currency, which she gingerly placed in the register.

"Thanks! Come again!" She happily waved goodbye at the woman.

She couldn't help but feel extremely happy. Another satisfied customer! She loved seeing the cheerful and happy faces of customers as they enjoyed their pastries and sweets. It's one of the many reasons why she loved working as a baker. Not only does she get something she so thoroughly loves, but seeing people taking delightful in what she enjoys was exhilarating. It made her so undeniably happy!

"Orihime!"

The auburn haired girl perked up when she heard her name being called. It was one of her male coworkers from behind the kitchen door where the sweets and deserts are prepared. He was a man of average height with a low cut, brown hair and bangs that hung over his forehead and framed his face. His eyes were a dark shade of green and his face was round and angular. He wore the typical male uniform, which consisted of a white button up shirt under a brown vest, brown slacks and a pair of black shoes adorned his feet. In comparison to the female uniform that mostly consisted of a brown dress with white frills around the skirt, collar, and sleeves. He also wore a white apron over his clothes since he was one of the bakers working in the kitchen.

Orihime's brows creased in worry when she finally took note of his distraught expression. "James, what's wrong?"

The brown haired man, now known as James, gazed at her in a panicked state. "Orihime, come quickly! We need your help!" he urged her, frantically.

"Be right there," she replied, the concern in her voice could her. She hurriedly finished up boxing up a customer's order and completed the transaction. Closing the register, Orihime followed James into the kitchen.

The auburn haired girl squeaked out a small cry of surprise when she spotted one of her coworkers crouched on the floor, grasping her injured left leg, her face screwed up in agony.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, her tone dipped in sheer worry as she dashing up to her female blonde coworker, carefully examining her twisted ankle. "What happened?"

"Nothing really, Orihime," her coworker tried to brush her pain off with a smile. "Just had a little accident. It's nothing too serious." She tried to stand up only to wince and let out a small cry of pain.

"You're not okay!" Orihime cried, fretfully. "We need to take you to the hospital to get your leg checked!"

"That's why I called you here, Orihime," James informed, though his concerned eyes laid on the injured blonde. "I need to take over for Daisy for the rest of the shift while I'll drive her to the hospital." His green gaze landed on her. "I think you can handle the baking and preparations?"

The auburn haired girl nodded in confirmation. "Leave it to me!" she said, determinedly.

James hummed in appreciation.

Daisy shot her an apologetic look. "Sorry for all the trouble."

Orihime just smiled at her. "Don't worry about it. You just get better soon."

The blonde nodded tearfully.

The auburn haired girl waved them away as James left with an injured Daisy in his arms. She stared at the mess of flour that was spread across the ground before. A couple of her coworkers already got to work cleaning it up.

They were down two workers, so they were going to have to pick up the pace a little. Luckily, the store would close in a couple more hours. They were just going to have to hold on until then.

* * *

Orihime sighed blissfully to herself, stretching her tired limbs. The last hour was hectic without James and Daisy around, but at least they got through it alright. She was covered in dough and flour. She couldn't wait to get home, so she could take a much needed and relaxing bath.

As she was walking to her apartment complex, she took notice of the many police officers and military men on the roadway. They were armed with guns and appeared tense and ready. A sense of anxiety hit her. Did something happen? She better get home.

She picked up her pace, wanting to return to her apartment as soon as possible where she would be safe. Unfortunately, she was spotted by one of the military officers.

"Ma'am, what are you doing out her? It's dangerous!" he shouted at her, blocking her way.

"Um…" Orihime shifted nervously. "My house is that way."

The officer clicked his tongue. "Well, I'm sorry, ma'am, but you are going to have to wait. The area ahead is off limits. There is a dangerous criminal causing all sorts of havoc up there. It's best you remain here until it's safe."

She nodded dumbly. "Yes, officer."

She dejectedly walked away. A dangerous criminal? What's going on? What could be the reason for the culprit to cause all this destruction? Enough to warrant the police and the military to work together? Whatever it is she hopes they would catch whoever is doing this before people get hurt.

The auburn haired girl sighed to herself. What she should do now? She can't go home yet, and there's no one she knew that lives around here. Should she just wait? She sighed sadly again. Guess, that was her only option until the culprit is arrested and captured.

Just then, her silver eyes widened in slight fear at the sudden flashes of red lightning all across the city. Suddenly, she had a _bad_ feeling about this.

* * *

"Have a nice day!" Orihime shouted, a bright smile on her face, waving another happy and satisfied customer goodbye.

A frown formed on her face. She couldn't help but think about last night and those red flashes. What were those lights? Whatever it was she knew that bad was happening or has happened. Fortunately, those red lights only lasted for no more than an hour. But still, she couldn't stop the feeling anxiety and dread that overtake her when she saw those flashes.

Even some of coworkers saw some of the chaos that ensued in Central. Apparently, it was some ice alchemist going around and killing officers. He even created gigantic, moveable pillars of ice that destroyed part of the city. They decided to drop the conversation though once the store's doors opened. They had to remain cheerful, happy, and welcoming for the customers after all.

Orihime perked up when she signature ding dong of the bakery's door opening. Her saddened instantly transformed into a welcoming smile as if it were second nature to her. Her silvery gray eyes widened in recognition when she spotted two familiar faces.

"Oh, you those two boys from the other day."

The older brother, Edward if she remembered correctly, spotted her and scowled deeply. "Are you the one going around calling me "the funny guy"?" he accused, pointing a threatening finger at her.

Orihime blinked in confusion.

"Brother, please. Stop it," Alphonse chastised Ed. He turned his glowing red gaze at the bakery girl. "I'm sorry about him."

She shook her head, smiling. "Don't be. Is there anything I could get you?"

Al nudged his brother, who glared at him in return before his golden orbs drifted back on the smiling girl.

"Uh, yeah. Can I have some more of that cake the other day?" Ed requested. He seemed kinda flustered and embarrassment.

The auburn haired girl's smile suddenly grew ten times brighter. "Yes, of course!" she exclaimed happily. She hurriedly search and picked out the same spongy cheesecake she offered him the other. She was so happy he enjoyed something she concocted and personally baked herself. She quickly and carefully stuffed back half a dozen in a takeaway box all while blissfully humming to herself.

"Here you go! That would be 3500 cenz, please," she stated.

Ed nodded and pulled out his wallet and handed over the exact amount of money. He handed it over the cash over to her.

"Thanks." Orihime took the money and put it on the cash register. She handed the box over to him in return. Funny, up close like this, she could see the bright, golden depths of his eyes. They were dazzling and intensely brilliant like the sun.

Ed noticed the strange look she was giving him, causing him to frown. "What?"

She beamed. "Your eyes… They're shiny!" she complimented gleefully. "They are like two shiny gold coins. They're pretty!"

The blonde alchemist could feel his cheeks heat up, not knowing what to say to that. She caught him off guard once again. "Um, thanks, I-I guess," he replied lamely, sheepishly scratching the back of his head before quickly leaving out the bakery's door.

Al chuckled. "Don't mind, brother. He's just awkward like that. He really liked the cake you made the other day. That's why he wanted to come here again," the suit of armor informed her. His genuinely pleased statement caused the auburn haired girl to beam in happiness.

"I'm glad he liked my cake," she responded joyfully. "Tell him to come back anytime. I would be happy to bake any cake he likes."

"Brother would very much like that." He nodded before hurrying after his older brother, throwing a quick "Goodbye!" her way.

"Bye!" Orihime yelled out as she watched him leave. It was nice to see those two boys doing well.

"Next."

* * *

**(A/N: That's it! Hoped you enjoyed it. Just a little insight of Orihime's work environment. And yes, Rangiku is here. And no, there are no Soul Reapers, so drop any questions about them because Soul Reapers, Quincies, and Hollows don't exist. Rangiku is a more and less a big sister of sorts for Orihime. I figured Orihime would need someone independent, strong, confident, if not a little eccentric to look up to and to take care of her from time to time since, you know, Orihime's an orphan. And I could think of no one else but Rangiku since the two of them get along so well in the anime.)**


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